Surge in federal health insurance exchange enrollment

(HealthDay News) — More than 1.1 million people enrolled in a qualified health plan through the federally operated marketplace, or exchange, from Oct. 1 through Dec. 24, government officials said Sunday. More than 975,000 of those enrollments came in December, Marilyn Tavenner, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a blog post.

Sunday’s announcement made no mention of the 14 exchanges that are run by states, independent of the federal website, as part of the Affordable Care Act, the Obama Administration’s massive overhaul of health care. Some states — such as California, Connecticut, New York, and Washington — have said their websites are operating well, while other states have encountered problems. It’s also not clear how many of the new enrollees are young adults.

Sunday’s announcement also marked some rare positive news about the rollout of the insurance enrollment process. HealthCare.gov was plagued for weeks with computer glitches that frustrated consumers who weren’t able to sign up for coverage. As recently as Tuesday, Dec. 24, the Obama Administration once again extended the deadline for people to register for health insurance coverage on HealthCare.gov. The extension followed a 24-hour “grace period” that was granted on Monday, Dec. 23 — beyond the original enrollment deadline of Monday, Dec. 23 at 11:59 p.m. — for benefits that would take effect Jan. 1. In most states, Monday, Dec. 23 had been the deadline for selecting a plan that would take effect on the first day of the new year.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most adults will pay a $95 penalty — or 1 percent of income — in 2014 if they don’t have health insurance coverage. The penalty rises to $695 — or 2 percent of income — by 2016. To avoid the penalty, people must enroll in a plan by Feb. 15 or qualify for an exemption from the penalty.